Hame-fastener



(No Model.)

J. STRETCH &T. M. BLACKWELL. HAMB PASTENER.

A TTOH/VEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH STRETCH, OF` NEWARK, AND THOMAS IWI. BLAOKVELL, OF EAST ORANGE, NEV JERSEY.

HAM E-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 47 5,953, dated May 31, 1892.

Application filed July 25, 1891. Serial No. 400,704. (No model.)

To au whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH STRETCH, a resident of Newark, and THOMAS M. BLACK- WELL, a resident of East Orange, inthe county of Essex and State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Haine-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in hame-fasteners, the object of the same being to provide a device of this character which shall be more simple, economical, and efficient than is the case with haine-fasteners now in use.

Vith such ends in view our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side View of our improved fastener in its closed adjustment, the outer side or plate be* ing cut away. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the fastener in its open adjustment, the end of the side plato being broken away. Fig. 3 is a view of the lock or catch, taken on the line X X of Fig. l. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of modified forms of the fastener in closed and open adjustment, respectively. Fig. 6 is a view ofthe modified form of catch, taken on the line YYof Fig. 4f. Fig. 7' is a detail plan View showing the attachment of the parts B and C. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a modified form of catch or lock. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the catch. Fig. l0 is a plan View of one end of the bar B.

A represents the casing7 constructed of the top a and two parallel sides b, the bottom being left open. This casing is constructed at one end with the hook c for attachment to one of the haines, the top a at the opposite end thereof being cut away, as shown at d, the two sides at this end of the casing being braced by two or more posts e, the ends of which are tightly secured in said sides.

In the sides b and near one end thereof are formed the holes or openings f, the number thereof, as well as the distance between them, corresponding to that of the posts c, the purpose and function of said openings being hereinafter set out.

B represents a bar or lever provided at one .end with the hook g, adapted to engage the other haine, and on its under side with the loop h for engagement with the martingale, pole-strap, or other part of the harness and to serve as a handle to open and close the fastener. It will be noticed by reference to Fig. lO that the hook g is somewhat wider or broader than the remaining part of the bar, the latter being cut away in order to allow it to lit within the casing A. By thus cutting away said bar we form the rounded shoulders t', against which strike the rounded ends of the sides b of the casing, the effect being to retain the fastener in its closed adjustment. The opposite end j of the bar l5 is formed somewhat thicker, in order to provide a catch for locking it to the casing when closed. To accomplish this, we form a recess therein consisting of the vertical part 7i; and the horizontal part Z, in which is fitted the catch m, bent as shown in Fig. l, and formed of wire, the vertical ends n thereof extending down through the slot it and having the horizontal parts o fitted in the slot Z and formed with the lugs or projections p, adapted when the fastener is closed to fit in the openings f, formed in the sides Zi of the casing. The extreme end q of the bar is rounded to conform to the rounded end of the casing. To t-he bar B and back of this spring-catch is formed a flange 7^, to which is pivoted the bifurcated end of the barl or lever C, curved to conform to the shape of the bar B and casing A and formed on its opposite end with the hook s, adapted to engage the posts e and when the fastener is closed to fold against the bar B, as shown in Figs. l and 4. It will now be understood that by engaging the hook s with the different posts e the fastener may be lengthened or shortened, as desired, to adjust it to fit the different sizes of harness, the catch mfitting in one' of the holes f and locking the fastener in its closed adjustment.

In practice the length of the fastener being first established to correspond with the size of the harness, the hooks c are inserted in the holes in the ends of the haines, or if the haines themselves are provided with hooks openings are formed in the hooks c and g, as shown in Fig. 5, and the llame-hooks c' g IOO passed through the same. The bars B and C are then folded together' and forced into the casing A, the effect of which is to bring the hannes tightly together in the collar-groove, the fastener being locked by means of the catch m. To loosen the fastener, the ends n c of the catch are forced together, which withdraws the lugs p from the openingsf, thereby allowing the fastener to be opened, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and the hooks thereon disengaged from the haines.

It Will be obvious that our improved fastener is capable of being modified in certain ways, and hence We do not limit our claim to the precise construction shown-as, for instance, instead of having the bar C detachably secured to the casing, as described, it maybe pivotally1 secured thereto, as shown at t, Figs. 4 and 5; but in such case the feature of lengthening or shortening the fastener Will be lost, and the catch modified, as shown,

slots u being formed in the sides of the casing to receive the sliding catch n, behind which is placed the spring w, bearing against the catch and against and secured to the casing.

In folding this fastener the end ct of the bar B is forced past the catch and rests behind the same, or the catch may be constructed as shown in Fig. 8,Which consists of a spring-actuated sliding bolt b', fitted in the bar B, and the end of Which tits behind the hook c to prevent the fastener from opening. Having fully described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A hanne-fastener constructed with a casing A, provided at. one end with a hook and with 'a series of holes f and at its opposite end with a corresponding series of posts e, a lever C, formed at one lend with a hook to engage said posts, and a bar B, permanently secured at one end to the opposite end of said lever C, said bar B being provided with a catch to engage in said openings, substantially as described. Signed at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 30th day of June, A. D. 1891.

JOSEPH STRETCH. THOMAS M. BLACKVELL.

i/Vtnesses:

J AMES M. TRIMBLE,

ERNEST V. A. BELFALLs. 

